We have put together this guide for first time property owners because Omaha is a unique place that functions differently from any other town in New Zealand. Omaha is part of the wider Auckland super city, but there are some rules and general etiquette that need to be observed.
Omaha has a local committee – the Omaha Beach Community Inc. (OBC) committee – which acts as the Council liaison and for the continued improvement of Omaha. Residents in the north end are invited to pay a subscription of $70 per annum which helps to pay for the security services, ongoing community enhancements and your membership to use the Community Centre. “South End” residents are automatically paying this fee when they pay for their compulsory annual Omaha Beach Residents Society (OBRS) fees. The OBRS – as distinct from the OBC- is the organisation that manages the planning and design controls of properties in the south end only. We urge the Northern owners to pay these fees – the security services make Omaha the safest community in the region and these services must be paid for.
Omaha has a truly unique environmental heritage. The Whangateau Harbour is a shellfish and wading bird habitat and home to some of New Zealand’s rarest birds. The Northern end dotterel reserve houses a precious nesting habitat for the endanged Dotterel species and the protected Taniko Forest (the last remaining stand of native Kahikatea forest in the region) is also home to some remarkable plant and wildlife species. Please keep this mind when walking your dog!
MORE USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW
The Beach is protected by a series of groynes at the northern end which help to build out the sand dunes – our first line of defence in the event of a major storm surge. For this reason we ask all residents and visitors to respect the sand dunes and please refrain from playing in them. They are very delicate and they take a long time to “heal” after a major event.
The Community Centre (adjacent to the Golf club) is available to be used by all members of the OBC. Alternatively, non-members are required to be signed in.
Tennis courts in the south are available to all households that are members of the OBRS (Southern group). Alternatively there are excellent all weather courts by the Community Centre; you can join the local club for as little as $50 per year and receive a key to the courts.
The Bowls Club is also a very inexpensive club to join, while other local clubs include the Golf Club, Surf Club (there is a nippers program for the kids), the Canoeing and Outriggers Club and the Omaha Ocean Swimming Club. All clubs are very social and will warmly welcome new members.
Rubbish: collection days are weekly on a Monday and rubbish must be put out by 7am on the morning of collection.
Rubbish collections are handled by Northland Waste which provides rubbish wheelie bins for use by residents (click here for details). Alternatively, the orange plastic rubbish bags must be used (please ensure these are tied up at the top and hung from a hook/post to prevent pests, dogs and birds getting into them); no other rubbish bags are permitted. Please do not put rubbish out after the collection as it will stay on the street until the following week’s collection and can end up strewn everywhere to be cleaned up by permanent residents..
Recycling: collection days are fortnightly on a Monday, using the Auckland Council supplied yellow lid recycling wheelie bins. Click here to find your next collection day. Again, the bins must be out by 7am on the morning of collection.
The cost of the recycling collections (and bins) is met from a targeted rate levied by Auckland Council as part of the property’s rates.
Recycling material only will be collected in the recycling wheelie bins and no other bins are permitted to be used.
Dogs: please observe the times that dogs can wander freely on the beach. In summer, from 1st December to 1st March, dogs are banned from the beach between 10am to 5pm; other times of the day and year, dogs are permitted on the beach but must be under control.
Compliance with the Council By-Law is monitored by Auckland Council.
Please also dispose of your dog’s poo – it is not fair for other members of the community to have to experience it lying on the beach!
Noise and parties: while Omaha is generally a family-friendly destination, occasionally a party might carry on too late. If this is the case, please call the Auckland Council hotline on 09 301 0101 and they will then alert Insite Security to investigate.
Civil Defence: being a coastal town, there is a small risk of a tsunami so we recommend that every household:
- reviews the Civil Defence information on this page of the OBC website
- downloads the Civil Defence app and work out an emergency plan for you and your family should the need arise.
Boat Ramp: located at 237 Omaha Drive, the ramp is made of concrete with five lanes, It is all-tide, all weathers, has a jetty and launches into the sheltered estuary with no bar crossing to negotiate.
There is no launching fee and plenty of parking, including designated trailer parking and space to manoeuvre. The designated parking is for car and trailer only – cars can park on the street.
Please observe etiquette and queues, and be as quick as possible when using the ramp.
News & Events: throughout the year numerous events happen in and around Omaha so keep an eye on the website for News & Events … and again, welcome to the neighbourhood!